In the past, electroluminescent displays were fabricated by carefully depositing electroluminescent material layers of prescribed thicknesses at designated locations on a substrate and selectively placing electrical conductors, which carry electricity to excite the electroluminescent material, on both sides of the electroluminescent material. These displays presented little risk to short-circuiting the electrical conductors when electrical leads, through which power is supplied, were mechanically fastened to their respective electrical conductors. The designer of the electroluminescent display had sufficient flexibility in shaping, sizing and positioning the electrical conductors and their associated electrical leads, so that they would not overlap at the connection points and create a short-circuit as connections were made and the connecting components might pierce through the display.
Recently, electroluminescent sheets and rolls have become available and have received widespread acceptance. Typically, electroluminescent sheets and rolls are relatively thin and are composed of a substrate coated with the electroluminescent material and a transparent conductor covering the electroluminescent material. Panels of desired size and shape are cut from the electroluminescent sheet or roll and then selectively coated with conductors, so that selected segments of the electroluminescent material are excited to produce the desired display when the conductors are energized.
It is apparent that producers of electroluminescent displays, when using electroluminescent sheets and rolls, are spared the problem of handling electroluminescent material and depositing this material over accurately defined areas in layers of prescribed thicknesses. They have a simpler task of selectively applying conductors to a panel cut from an electroluminescent sheet or roll to selectively energize the electroluminescent material.
However, connecting the electrical leads, through which power is supplied to the electroluminescent panel, to conductors disposed on opposite sides of the electroluminescent material can be a costly and time-consuming step in the fabrication of these electroluminescent displays. Care must be taken to assure that the components, such as copper clips, which press the electrical leads into good electrical contact with their respective conductors do not penetrate the relatively thin panel and short-circuit the conductors through these components. The risk of a short-circuit exists because the transparent conductor, which is part of the electroluminescent sheet or roll, extends across the entire face of the panel. A connecting component, applied to a conductor on the opposite side of the panel from the transparent conductor, will make contact with the transparent conductor if it penetrates through the panel.